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Words That Caught me in May

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It has been a busier month than usual with work and at home, one of those months in which the hours have been packed and yet days are short in terms of what I hoped to get done. If I apply a hashtag for the month it will be #marathon. I’m grateful that the hours have been rewarding- my brain is happily popping with work and it has been a joy to watch my youngest as he circles and strides a track, pressing for his place at the Provincial meet coming up this weekend.

Recreational reading has been minimal, but I’ve been lucky to find some gems this month. Just yesterday I read this piece from Nathaniel Fleming, a medical student reflecting on the shift from self-centered student to healthcare provider. My friend Matt told me about the medical school mantle he and his classmates were given, a speech emphasizing how important they were to get into medical school, how important they would be. Fleming acknowledges that impression too, and talks about the shift when he realizes the meaning of his role, and how it balances with others in a healthcare situation. I’m curious how this plays out in teaching in medical school- the balance between knowledge itself, and developing the wisdom of how to support people in health and illness. How do you set up medical students to be open to wisdom?

In work communications, Do You Know How Each Person on Your Team Likes to Work? was a good reminder for anyone working within a team to be aware of how they communicate, especially when different layers of authority are in play. I tagged it as a #leadership piece on Twitter, but it applies to all in the simple yet important question, how do we work together?

Escaping social media, I’ve been savouring Richard Wagamese’s One Native Life, which caught me early on. It is a memoir written in short, textured pieces, and so beautiful. Wagamese shares details of sight, sound and sense of a boy layered within the experience of being Indigenous and raised outside of his cultural traditions. I am walking through it with care.

The library has 3 books on reserve for me to pick up. I haven’t checked which ones they are, but will have a chance to pick them up tomorrow. Perhaps they’ll begin the flow of June’s engaging words. I can hope.